Tuesday, September 20, 2016

Transport Tuesday

Daniel Bowen's posts are always interesting, but this one raised some thoughts for me. It is about whether we use the 12 hour or 24 hour clock. At work I have to use the 24 hour clock, so I am quite familiar with it, but I do convert the time in my head to the 12 hour clock. It is rare that I convert much back to the old, so far as the metric system goes.

As I have written before, we are going backwards with our metrication. Because of the tyre inflation equipment that garages import from the US being in pounds per square inch, everyone has forgotten hectopascals and no one is learning them now. I think we are losing kilojoules back to calories, and although we are pretty good with weights, the weight of babies is still described widely in pounds. I at times might say an inch rather than 2.5 cm, or a yard if a distance is a bit short of a metre and I can readily convert 20cm to 8 inches. At times I will say somewhere is miles away, but other times I will say kilometres away. I do not say clicks, kays or kilOMetres. Former late Prime Minister Whitlam told us that it is KILometres and had Greek roots. Nothing wrong with that.

For once, I don't really have an opinion on which is to be the preferred time format. Most people here are more used to the 12 hour clock, but that is not a reason to not change. I'd rather see decimal clock, with ten hours to the day instead of 24.

Daniel also linked to a post by Marcus Wong, pointing out how confused time formats are at both Metro Trains and our country rail service V/Line and when they are on one display, it looks chaotic. Fancy catching a suburban train at 2:22 at Flinders Street to arrive at So Cross Station at 2:27 to catch the 14:45 to Bendigo.

What we do need here is consistency by our train folk.

------

The retro fitted public announcement system on our B Class trams is quite good. I don't know why the tram driver yesterday felt it necessary to duplicate them with his own similar announcements. For goodness sake, shut up.

Last week we went to Richmond by tram. The C Class does not have a recorded public The driver would not shut up on the PA system. I wish she would pay full attention to driving rather than hearing her own voice. I was somewhat bemused and a little cross when she announced, 'The next stop is located for your convenience between Russell and Exhibition Street'. No Ms Tram Driver, it was much more convenient when there were stops at both Russell and Exhibition Streets. She was young and quite new, I think, and probably did not know.

------

A couple of decades ago R and myself were on a tram and there was a collector for an environmental organisation on the tram. They used to dress up in koala suits and collect money using a slotted bucket. I can't remember what someone commented to the person in the koala suit, but he clearly said sotto voce, 'I should have caught the train'. Over the years R and myself have used the expression when we get caught in traffic or have a slow and/or unpleasant tram trip. The tram trip back from Richmond was tedious. We should have gotten off the tram at Richmond Station and caught the train.

PS It must be nearly time to have another go at Americans who alone in the world use their weird date format.

I use a 24 hour clock, which is my preferred method. When I was setting up my website I got very annoyed that I could not change the date format on the forms from US formatting. Bloody yanks, think they run the world.

Our trams have an automated announcement system for each station, which I find irritating, also the same voice tells us if we wish to stop at ** station, please press stop now. If nobody presses stop and there are no pick ups to be made, the tram just keeps going.

Without the 24 hour clock travelling would be a nightmare but that is the only time I use it. Everyday life is the 12 hour clock. As an aside trying to teach telling the time was always difficult. Children are so used to reading a digital clock that understanding an analogue clock proved a step too far for many. Twenty minutes to or past.... forget it.

My public diary, not my private one. I live in a highrise apartment building in inner Melbourne. My interests are varied but top of the list are old buildings, history and public transport. You will find plenty of personal experiences to read in my blog too. Just be aware I am not an historian, amateur or otherwise. While I make some effort to be accurate, I don't do proper methodical research so I advise you check all details on your own behalf should you wish to quote me. Your comments are very welcome, but try to be nice to my fragile yet overblown ego. I enjoy receiving email. You can find my eddress in my complete profile.